Akumatized
by ShandyCandy278
Summary: It's a dangerous world, where the name of Agreste is cursed and spat upon. Only those who are brave, and perhaps foolish, dare to go into the city of Paris. Chat Noir has fought solo against Hawkmoth from the beginning. Until now, that is. (Because nothing ever seems to go in his favor.) Apocalyptic and No Miraculous AU. Rated T for violence and feels.
1. Chapter 1

"Nooope!" The seventeen-year-old skidded on his black, steel-tipped boots. His green eyes were impossibly wide as he barely stopped himself from running into the blackish-purple figure in front of him. The figure attempted to grab him, but the teen dodged and turned, running in a different direction.

A different black-purple figure lunged at him, but the teenager swiftly spun past, leaping over a wrecked car. His breaths were labored, and just behind him a mob of the black-purple figures began to gain ground.

"Come on!" He hissed to himself. "Just a… little more!"

The black cat ears on top of his head twitched, and the teenager pulled out a silver bow-staff from behind him. He pressed a button, and it extended and allowed him to swing it behind him. He hit the figure that tried to jump on him, knocking it into the ground without stumbling. His wild blonde hair succumbed to his speed, unfortunately also being a beacon to the figures behind him.

He pulled his staff back to his side and continued running, tail flailing behind him. He dodged another attempt to grab at him, finally approaching the broken bridge. His gateway to salvation. The teenager lifted the staff over his head as he neared, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Aaand… now!" He extended his staff to a longer length than last time, sticking it into the ground and using it to lift himself into the air. The water below was a mix of the normal blue and a poisonous purple. Electricity raced around on the surface, and the teenager smirked. His black suit gleamed in the glow of the electric and poisonous water below, and he landed with a tumble onto the other side.

He shot up, still breathing heavy from the adrenaline rush. The black-purple figures stared at him from the other side- unable to cross.

"Well…" He breathed, smirk still on his lips as he turned around. His cat-like green eyes twinkled with a smug-sort-of-relief. A hand reached up to finger the mask on his face, protecting his identity from his enemy. "Looks like this cat managed to live another day." He saluted a them cheekily, holding up a green and black crystal.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Moths. Tell Hawkmoth that Chat Noir says to 'get a life'." He bowed and winked before running over to a black motorcycle. Chat Noir hopped on and started it up, placing the small crystal in one of his pockets. He drove away, not once looking back at the ruined and once beloved city of Paris.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, the masked teenager dressed as a black cat sauntered through town- his blonde hair shining a beautiful golden color in the sun. If you were wondering what had happened to his motorcycle, he had left it at his base- which was at a hidden location that only he knew about.

Chat Noir ignored the stares and whispers circulating around the town, knowing that they were about him. He walked into the only restaurant in the small town casually, reaching in to pull out some coins and a necklace.

"A meal." He said, placing them on the table. The waiter observed the offered form of trade and nodded, taking it.

"Meal on table six!" They shouted as Chat Noir walked over to the said table. He sat down with a sigh, the tension in his shoulders lessening slightly. He made sure that no one was watching before he pulled out the green and black crystal to observe.

It was almost shaped like a paw print, but that was just speculation. He pulled out his staff, opening a screen by the top and holding it over the crystal.

"Alright, let's see what you're made of, and why Hawkmoth wanted you." He mused, turning the scanner on. It scanned the crystal with a white light, and a few seconds later a notification popped up on the screen. Chat Noir scowled.

"Unidentified object." He muttered. "So it's not in the worldwide database. Must be rare if he wanted it." He tucked crystal back in his pocket and his staff in his belt. It wasn't long before the waiter arrived with a drink and a plate with some food.

But there was also a slice of cake.

"Excuse me." He said to the waiter politely. "I only ordered a meal, not dessert."

"You didn't." They said. "The person over there did it for you." The waiter gestured across the room, to a figure with a black hood in a shady corner. Chat Noir observed the figure critically before looking back at the waiter.

"Ah, thank you for telling me."

"Just hurry up and eat, I have to hurry over to my other job." They huffed, walking away. Chat Noir nodded and began to eat his meal. He didn't live here, anyway, and it would be best to make it home (or set up camp) before dark.

Someone sat down across from him, and he looked up a bit annoyed at being interrupted. It swiftly turned to surprise when he saw that it was the figure from the shady table.

"Uh, thank you for the cake." He said, unsure.

"Well, you are _Chat Noir_. I had to offer something." The person said, a small smirk on their lips. His cat-like eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" He asked, voice flat.

"What?" They asked. "Is it so bad to want to meet the famous Chat Noir? One of the only people who can enter Paris, the capital city of Hawkmoth's empire, and return- alive?"

He could tell that they were flattering him up. No one ever talked about him like that- no matter what face he was under.

"Wouldn't you rather find Ladybug?" He asked flatly, and her smirk turned amused. "Perhaps Queen Bee, Rena Rouge, or even Carapace?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you." They looked up a bit, and he was able to see their Amber eyes. "You've never given your statement on the whole Hawkmoth situation. What's your take?"

Chat Noir's eye twitched, and his smirk grew. "Oh, so you're just a reporter in need of a juicy scoop?"

"No." They rolled their eyes. "Just genuinely curious."

"They'll pay for making the world like this." He said. "Felix and Gabriel will find my claws in their faces one day." The eyes showed confusion.

"What about Adrien, the third in line?"

"Pfft." He laughed. "That kid? He's been missing for years! As if he'd be any sort of threat. This cat could kick his but any day of the week- no claws and an arm tied behind my back." He felt some pain shoot up his back while he demonstrated, and his smile falsely grew wider.

"So you think that the elusive Adrien Agreste is no threat?" They asked. "Others believe that he's hidden away on a secret mission for his father."

"It's not good to believe such false rumors." He scoffed.

"… You really don't act the way people say you act." They said, mostly to themselves.

"That's because I prefer to get the job done." He leaned back with a smirk, and the person laughed.

"Well, I was wondering…"

' _Here we go.'_ He thought knowingly. ' _Is it another missing person? Perhaps a beloved object they wish to retrieve.'_

"I've heard that there is a team being formed. Have you heard of it?"

"You mean Miraculous?" They nodded.

"I was wondering if you would be joining."

"Ha, as if they'd want me. Destruction and bad luck follow my every move- they don't want me on their tail." He waved it off.

"Ah, yes- your mysterious Cataclysm." Chat Noir froze, but they didn't notice. "Many wonder what gave you the ability to destroy everything you touched, but I personally don't care. I have heard, however, that they do want you on their team."

There was a certain gleam in those amber eyes, and Chat Noir felt like he was under intense criticism.

"What do you say about it now?"

Chat Noir knew that this couldn't be just some curious civilian. He studied their figure harder than he had first done. His eyes finally rested on the necklace that glinted in the shadows of the cloak, just out of sight.

' _Gotcha.'  
_  
"I'm afraid that I'd have to decline." He said politely, a false smile on his lips. "I work alone for a reason."

"Ever the more mysterious." She said (he could call her she now that he knew who it was). "Perhaps that's why Miraculous wants you. You've been to Paris, have a good head on your shoulders, and know how to keep a secret. It's everything that they're looking for."

"Hmn, tempting." He admitted, leaning forward a little. This had always gotten people to leave him alone in the past. "But, un- _fur_ -tunately, I'm still not _purr_ -suaded, Rena Rouge. You'll have to _Cat_ -ch someone else to join your little kitty-club."

He stood up, but before he could say 'pun' she had her 'flute' aimed at his nose.

' _Crap.'  
_  
"I'm afraid that I must… insist." Her teeth glinted in a smirk from underneath the cowl. Chat Noir awkwardly laughed it off.

"For a fox, you sure know how to pick your fights." He admitted, looking for a way out.

Just how he always managed to get himself into these situations, he'd never know.

"What can I say, they don't call me the master of manipulation for nothing." She replied. "Now sit your nice little tail down, and we can finish this little chat without any fuss."

Chat Noir pursed his lips. One side of him screamed for Cataclysm, but the other side warned that it would make it worse. What he needed was to be slyer than the fox. _Literally._

If he moved for his staff, she would probably blast him with some gas from her 'flute'. It would either knock him out, blind him, or make him hallucinate. He personally didn't want to have to deal with any of those options.

So the options he had were to either sit down and 'go along with it', or maintain his status as a solo fighter with lots of difficulties.

The first option was definitely NOT happening, he knew that much.

"You should know better than to try to tempt bad luck, fox." He pointed out with a cheeky smile.

"And why's that?" She asked confidently.

"It'll hit you in the face eventually." He moved his knee up, hitting the table and throwing it up so that it hit Rena Rouge in the face. It simultaneously knocked her flute out of her hand, which was definitely a good thing. Then he rushed out of the restaurant.

"Five stars!" He called to one of the waiters as he pulled out his staff. He continued down the street, running into the first side alley he saw. He heard footsteps behind him, and he extended his staff to shoot himself into the air, landing happily on the rooftops. He knew she wouldn't be able to follow, and when he looked down she was growling at him.

"Come back here!"

"I must a- _paw_ -logize, but this cat has business elsewhere. Maybe next time." He saluted and then ran across the rooftops, checking to see if anyone would follow.

' _This is one fox-hunt that's gonna continue.'_ He thought as he launched himself across another gap. ' _And if I'm right, the other members of Miraculous will be after me too. I'll have to lie low- it's too dangerous.'  
_  
He eventually arrived at his destination- a small alcove that he used occasionally to rest in, mostly for emergency use. He walked in without much thought, knowing that there was nothing to worry about.

That is until he heard the net falling down.

The area was too cramped to run out, so unless he wanted to be captured he didn't have a choice.

 _"Cataclysm!"_

Pain sky-rocketed through his body, but the addictive feeling of mass power gathering in his right hand almost numbed it out completely. The second it touched the net, the whole thing disintegrated in a satisfying way. Chat Noir laughed and turned around to look at the entrance, where a familiar figure stood in the light of the setting sun. Exhaustion began to seep into his mind, but he stood strong.

 _He still had a mission to complete._

"Heh, I should've known the little lady would show up sooner or later." He shook his head. "Here's a bit of advice- no means no."

The figure dressed in red and black-polka-dotted spandex let out her own stunning laugh. "This, unfortunately, isn't about what you want. It's about what's best for the world."

For a second, and only a second, panic shot through him. _Had someone finally figured out who he was?_

He highly doubted it, though. Lots of people were oblivious to just about everything about him.

"We need you, Chat Noir." She continued, and he relaxed. _She didn't know._ "Join Miraculous, please."

"You'll have to catch me first." He pointed out, even though he knew he was cornered. "You sure you feel up to a game of cat and bug, Bugaboo?"

He blue-bell eyes twinkled in amusement, and she raised an eyebrow. "Says the cat who's already been caught?"

He put his staff away. "Hmn, I don't know about caught, Ladybug. Being solo tends to do that. You used to be solo, too. Makes me wonder what changed..."

"Well, if you're as curious as your namesake, you wouldn't mind coming with us _willingly_." He watched the light finally fade away, leaving them in Complete darkness. He tapped the edge of his mask, giving him the night vision he'd need.

"For some reason, I highly doubt that." He slowly, and he very quietly backed into the wall. He sunk his claws in the wood that made up the walls there. It was connected to what used to be a hotel of sorts, but now it was abandoned. The walls especially could be easily be pulled apart.

 _Purr-fect._

"Just _give up,_ Chat Noir." Ladybug probed, annoyance entering her voice. His smirk grew wider.

"When cats grow wings and fly." Then he tore out the wood and dashed into the abandoned building, planning on making his escape into the dark of the night-

Only for something to clamp around his feet.

He yelped, the force of what was now attached to him causing him to stumble forwards and fall on his stomach. His exhaustion settled in for a moment as stars danced in his eyes, and he rolled over while sitting up. A clawed hand reached to touch his feet, and he growled.

" _Dang-it_." He hissed, sitting up and clawing at the string that was tied around them, the familiar red, black-spotted yo-yo attached to the string laying limply by his feet. He vaguely registered the soft footsteps coming closer, and his movements turned frantic. No matter how he clawed or tugged, it didn't give way. He didn't want to risk another Cataclysm, so he got on his hands and knees and attempted to run away again.

He was tugged on from behind only lightly, but he still fell to the floor with a hiss. His vision was starting to go dark, and he pushed himself up again.

"You know, you could've just avoided this if you had agreed to sit back down in the restaurant." Rena Rouge's voice cut through his swirling thoughts. Black dots entered his vision as he looked up at her, his hands struggling to keep him up and a sympathetic look on her face. He scoffed.

"And I told you that I'm solo. I don't join teams." He hissed, unconsciously tugging on the yo-yo string though he knew it was useless. He wasn't going to go down without a fight, after all.

"I'm sorry, dude." An unknown voice spoke behind him as more footsteps approached. "You're too elusive to get a good hold on if ya catch my drift." His body swayed for a moment, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay awake for long.

As cool as Cataclysm was, it had some _nasty_ side-effects.

"Hey." A presence stood right behind him, and Ladybug's voice so close startled him only slightly. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me." He brushed off, vision finally fading. He barely registered falling to his left, and shouts of concern coming from those around him. "I'm… fine…"

His last thoughts were focused on only one thing.

Getting his freedom back so that he could do the one thing that mattered.

 _Protecting her._


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so normally I wouldn't come out and point out a comment. Especially recently, but this comment NEEDED to be acknowledged as quickly as possible.**

 **It states as follows (in exact words):** _While this isn't bad, the only thing you did was have the othe rmiracules hodler appear to be mor elike enemies, and frankly it's sad that I can understand there desire for him to join but even when he chose to leave, if they wanted him, they could have bided their time and even helped bit by bit, this altercation shows they aren't trustworthy and more than likely intended to use him. Try focusing on the psychoclogcl effects of each person and how Chat/Adrien would truly be._

 **First off- I would like to thank you for reviewing and for giving me criticism. I always appreciate when people try to help me make my stories better. And you also brought up some really good points! I'm honestly impressed!**

 **However, I feel the need to stress that this is not only a _No Miraculous AU_ , but an _Apocalyptic AU_. As such, the characters WILL be changed to better fit the circumstances and what they've gone through- as is the way when writing AUs. As much as I want them to all get along just fine and be friends from the start, it just isn't logical in this case. Anyone who has done their research knows that trust is never truly earned in apocalyptic scenarios. And yes, while it can be accomplished over time and with support, Chat Noir does not want that support nor help. In fact, he would be able to completely lose them if they even tried to.**

 **The majority of this Fanfic will be in Adrien's POV, and as such we will see things from his perspective. Just because it's his perspective that I'm writing in, doesn't mean that you can't see the other's perspectives either. Remember- this is an Apocalyptic AU, and as such if you need something, you have to get/take it. Ladybug, Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Queen Bee have become a team in the hopes of taking down Hawkmoth as fast as possible. However, they** ** _need_** **Chat Noir in order for their plan to work. Chat Noir is a solo player, and they asked him multiple times before kidnapping him.**

 **They're desperate for his help, and as such are willing to do just about anything to have him be a part of the team, even for just a little while. They're thinking about what's good for Paris, and in broader terms, the world. The ability to take down the person who 'rules the world' and caused the Apocolypse is with them, and they want to do it as quickly as possible to save the innocent from being hurt any more. Of course, their going to make brash decisions- they feel like they're on a time stamp and feel like they can't spare any time lolling around and waiting for Chat Noir to decide to join their ranks.**

 **And you are right- Adrien would have been more than happy to help them and their cause. In fact, if the circumstances were even the slightest bit different, he would have actually listened to Rena in the Dinner.**

 **There's just so much that happens later on in the chapters that would explain all of this- why Chat Noir is so against being a part of a team and why they decided to kidnap him. Even just a few more chapters after this and everything would be properly explained. I almost wish that you could have read on instead of being stopped at the last chapter because it's literally killing me that all of the answers were just a couple chapters unposted away. All I can really ask you to do is trust me when I say that it will all make sense eventually.**

 **But I really truly do appreciate your comment. It reminded me that, as the Authoress of this story, I know more about the plot than you d and should be patient when comments like yours pop up.**

 **I hope that this addressed all of the points in your review, and to all of the other readers, I sincerely apologize for the long Author's note. I just felt like it should be said on here, in an actual chapter, in case other readers question why I wrote it the way I did.**

 **To any of you who are confused- it will all be explained in due time.**

 **Oh! And I WILL be posting two chapters in a row, so if you don't see the fourth chapter after reading this just give it a few minutes and the next chapter will pop up shortly.**

 **Enjoy!**

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When Chat Noir came to, he woke up on a bed in a room he didn't recognize. He blinked a few times, sitting up with some pain. Nothing serious, it just made him hiss and his head spin.

His memory of the prior day came back, and he growled.

He had a mission, _dang-it!_ His hand fisted and he could feel his claws cut through the suit, piercing his skin and causing him to bleed.

He could Cataclysm out of here, but he didn't know where he was or how he got there. His ears twitched at the sound of footsteps, coming from the mirror across from him.

It was probably a two way so that they could watch him. He found it irritating that he couldn't see them in return, so he turned his back to the mirror and folded his arms.

Childish, he knew, but _they_ were the ones who decided to kidnap him.

Although he knew he wasn't supposed to be able to hear it, his ears pinned on the top of his head revealed Ladybug's voice on the other side of the mirror. "Oh, come on Chat Noir, don't be like that."

"He can't hear you." A male voice told her. "You have the microphone off."

She sighed. "I know, but still. I wish you guys hadn't decided that this was the best way to convince him."

"Why so touchy-feely?" The male asked. "You certainly weren't like that with us."

"Chat Noir is… _different_." She replied. "You wouldn't understand."

Oh, he understood _plenty_. A mask and a costume didn't hide who you were unless you hid it well, and Ladybug wasn't really trying to.

He remembered when he had saved her and her family from the Moths who had decided to attack their bakery. She had been such a shy thing then, as well as his only friend. The friend thing was before Hawkmoth had taken over the world though, and Chat Noir was _certain_ that she didn't call them 'friends' anymore.

Out of his suit, anyway. In suit was an entirely different story.

He had saved her, and when she had asked if there was anything she could do to repay him, he had told her to 'fight the good fight' and then disappeared into the darkness.

She had taken that request _far_ more seriously than he had expected.

"If you say so." The male said. "Why didn't you like this idea, anyway? You even agreed that it would work, although you despised it. I've been curious for a while now."

"…" Ladybug didn't answer, which peaked his curiosity a bit.

"If you didn't want to say, you could just say so." The male said.

"Or I could just leave you hanging." Ladybug replied smartly.

"You know, I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to Cataclysm his way out yet." The male admitted.

"Well, remember what happened when he used Cataclysm?" Ladybug asked. "It makes him exhausted, and it didn't look like he could, or wanted to use it again right away. He's being _smart_."

"I got you guys homemade pizza." Rena's voice said as the door opened. His ear twitched at the squeaky sound, and his stomach grumbled at the mention of food. "What's going on?"

"I'd say that he's giving us the silent treatment, but there's almost no way that he'd know that we're even in here. He probably knows it's a Two-way, but there's nothing really telling him whether we're watching or not."

Chat Noir felt pain dance up his back, but he managed to conceal his flinch by tightening his fist even more and biting his lip. He took a big, shaky breath and then slowly let it out.

He could feel one of the three inquisitively staring at the back of his head, almost as though they knew something. Or, at least, suspected it. He didn't need any suspicion set upon him. Not if he was gonna get out of here.

" _Dang_ , I think you're right." Rena Rouge admitted, breaking the silence behind him after a few minutes.

"What is going on, Chat?" He had to strain to hear Ladybug's soft whisper through the hearing devices in his ears.

"So… who's going to talk to him?" Rena asked.

"I will." Ladybug said instantly. "He'd probably listen to me better."

"Then why didn't you offer to do that in the restaurant?" Rena asked.

"You just looked so excited to interview him." Ladybug lightly teased. Chat Noir rolled his eyes at the way Rena sputtered out some form of reply as the male laughed.

Marinette really had made newer, better friends than he had ever been with her.

He was glad, and only the smallest bit jealous.

After all, Hawkmoth's actions and Chat Noir's own choices had stopped him from achieving _that_.

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Bridgette was your typical post-apocalyptic bystander. She lived in a house that she had made in the trees not that far from town, and visited the Orphanage there daily. It was one of the three left in the country, and unlike the others was a volunteer that spent as much time as she could with the kids.

She _hated_ seeing them depressed, mourning for the loss of family or lack of memories. She hated when they had no more hope left in their eyes, and so she did her best to cheer them up. Over half of them called her along the lines of 'mother' or 'big sister', and those who didn't were teenagers who had lost hope in the world before she could convince them otherwise.

It was the end of one such day, her long black-highlighted-blue hair tied into long pigtails shinning in the sun. A lot of the girls had started wearing that hairstyle in support of the hero Ladybug, and if Bridgette wore her hair like that, then the kids would be more hopeful too.

Bridgette's blue eyes took in the forest around her as she skipped on home, a small basket of bread, fruits, and vegetables in her hands. The sun was setting in the west, a beautiful sight that she had seen every day for a total of four years now.

Something rustled in the bushes, and Bridgette froze. She looked over curiously, noting that the brush was thick enough that she couldn't quite see anything clearly.

A blur of white suddenly pounced out of the bushes and onto something nearby. Bridgette gasped and rushed over to one of the trees close to the tussle, observing safely from behind the tree.

It was a blonde teenager, who wore a grey tank top and some black pants. He seemed to have a few patches of white on his skin (or maybe he was just really pale), and one of his arms was bandaged in a way that Bridgette could tell that it had been injured. Under him was a Moth, and she gasped when she realized that the Moth had an actual mouth- full of razor-sharp teeth. It was struggling under the teen's hold, gnashing its teeth and trying to…

 _Trying to get to her._

The blonde raised his right hand up high- the hand was covered with a white glove, which made Bridgette curious, but she didn't dare comment.

"Catalyst!" He exclaimed, placing the hand right on the Moth's head. The Moth jerked under the teenager, almost like it had been electrocuted, before turning to dust. The teenager grunted as he fell and rolled onto his side, breathing heavily. Clearly whatever he had done had taken a lot out of him.

Bridgette dared to take another step closer, and then another. His platinum-blonde hair fell in front of his eyes, which Bridgette couldn't quite see clearly.

"A-Are you okay?" She asked after a moment. She took a few steps back when he lifted himself up, looking at her through squinted eyes.

" _Fine."_ He bit out. "You?"

"Good, thanks to you." She watched as he stood up and swayed for a moment, resting against a tree close to him. "D-Do you need any help?"

"No." He glared at her, his eyes not even focused on her. "Continue on your way."

"But-" Bridgette gasped when he collapsed onto the forest floor, unconscious. Instantly she walked over and checked his pulse.

"Still alive." She sighed in relief and looked around. They were alone. Wincing, she leaned down and tried to carry his limp form so that she could take him home. "Ugh, you're _heavy!_ "


	4. Chapter 4

Chat Noir remembered when he had met Ladybug for the first time. Not Marinette- Ladybug.

Rumors about her had been circulating, but Chat Noir hadn't believed it until he had found her walking on a rooftop. He had landed next to her with ease.

"If it isn't the miraculous Ladybug." He had greeted. "What's a lady like you doing in a town like this after sunset?"

"I wanted to team up with you, Chat Noir." It was the first time she had asked.

"I'm sorry, but this cat's a one-man crew." He had replied, the very idea of his childhood friend being in danger terrifying him.

It still did.

"Why? You're _always_ telling people to stay together." Ladybug had pointed out.

"Being a hy- _purr_ -crite unfortunately comes with the job." He had joked, earning a groan. "They can't _afford_ to lose their lives. Too many people care about them." It was the first time he had actually been grave and serious in the mask in another's presence out of danger, and he looked down at his right hand. "Me? I don't _have_ anything left under this mask. Hawkmoth took it all away from me, and I'm going to return the favor one day."

 _One day._

Now, it was three years later. Chat Noir had a feeling that this was going to be a continuation of that first conversation, just like all the others.

The door that she had opened surprisingly hadn't made any noise. Her feet padded across the room and towards the bed, sitting down by his side but facing the mirror.

Chat Noir could smell her now. The bakery scent might've faded, but she still managed to smell as sweet as she was after all of these years.

"Hello, Chat Noir." She greeted, her voice soft and kind. "It's a pleasure to meet you again."

' _Meet?'_ He thought, turning his head away from her direction. ' _Ha! Some meeting this is.'  
_  
"I do wish that it could've been done differently." Ladybug admitted. "But Miraculous is a team, and as a team, we all have a part in deciding what to do. Carapace, Queen Bee, and Rena all thought that it would be the best thing."

"I wanted to be tactical and come straight out with it." Ladybug continued, unable to read his thoughts. "You know, walk up, say we need to talk, and then you hear us out. They all seemed to believe that you wouldn't, but I have faith." She sighed.

"Chat Noir, I know that you're mad, but _please_ look at me." The soft undertone of begging had his heart, in less than a heartbeat, urging him to look. "I promise to explain it all, and I don't care if you speak, but at _least_ look at me."

He bit his lip and let out a small sigh. He had never been able to truly deny her anything, even when they were kids (though she didn't, and could _never_ , know it).

When he turned to look at her, she was smiling in a way that made him want to smile back, but he managed not to.

"There we go." She soothed. She placed her red-covered hand over his, and he glanced at it before looking back up at her.

' _You wouldn't be doing that if you knew my secrets.'_ He thought sadly.

"Something is changing, Chat Noir." She said seriously. "The Moths who haunt Paris have been getting out and _attacking_ people. All that they ever 'say' is locate. They're trying to find something, or someone, important. Maybe even _both_ , considering that Adrien has been missing for five years now- ever since this whole mess first started."

"Since we're the only people willing to go back to Paris, we're the only ones who can stop this. We all have our strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and support from the people. However, we all knew that you just _had_ to be in this with us. _You're_ the one who first started the rebellion, after all, whether everyone knows it or not. _You're_ the one who fought back first when the first Moths made their appearance in Paris."

"That's why we went through all that trouble." She concluded, staring into his eyes so intently that he felt that she could look straight through him. "To talk to you, to… _kidnap_ you." Her fingers played with each other nervously, her blue-bell eyes unable to meet his.

She… she really _hadn't_ wanted to do that to him.

"I know that you probably want to think about this." She said softly. "Rena, Pace, and Queenie are all deadest in forcing you to join…" She leaned in to whisper.

"But if you _still_ don't want to, I understand. I can help you get out then, okay?" He stared at her with wide eyes, and she smiled at him again. However, when she got up to leave, he grabbed her hand.

He stood up, looking her in the eye as she observed him, shocked. He bowed over so that he could kiss the back of her hand, and when he looked up she was blushing. Then he stood up to his full height, a head higher than her, and leaned down into her ear.

"Thank you for your explanation, my lady." He purred softly, and she gasped. "Maybe if your teammates apologize, I will _consider_ joining your cause." He leaned away and offered her a small smile. Since her face was still coated in shock, he turned around and sat down on the bed again.

She didn't speak to him when she walked out, and a nervous, unsettling feeling grew in his stomach.

 _What if he had gone too far?_

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It was almost an hour before Ladybug returned to the room behind the mirror, another person walking behind her.

"Why'd you bring Queenie?" The male, who Chat had to name Carapace, asked.

"I need to talk to _all_ of you about this." Ladybug replied sternly. "Chat Noir has agreed to consider it-"

"Only _consider it?!_ " Rena's voice interrupted. He could practically see Ladybug glaring at her.

"Well, I'm not the one who brought up the idea to 'catnap' him in the first place." She argued. "Maybe if you guys had _listened_ to my plan, he wouldn't be acting like this and actually _considering_ joining."

"But-"

"Just continue, Ladybug." Queen Bee huffed.

"Chat Noir says that he'll consider it, but you _all_ have to apologize first."

"Apologize?!" Rena shrieked. "To _him?!_ "

"Yes."

" _Why?"_

"For the same reasons why he wouldn't consider it in the first place. We kidnapped him, and he wants an apology for it."

"Queen Bee does _not_ apologize." Queen Bee huffed.

"I never really thought what he felt about it." Carapace admitted. "I mean, he's always so _elusive_ about where he is. This was a _one-time_ thing, it was either go all out or fail."

"He nearly broke my _flute_!" Rena hissed. Chat Noir raised an eyebrow at that- was she _seriously_ not going to apologize because of an almost broken flute? "Not to mention that he's cocky- you should've heard him _bragging_ about how he could beat _Adrien Agreste!_ " He heard Ladybug snickering, and an open laugh from Carapace.

"Rena, I'm pretty sure that we could _all_ beat Adrien." He admitted. "I met the guy a few times _before_ this whole mess started, and he was the literal definition of a cinnamon roll. The guy couldn't hurt a fly without feeling guilty, unlike his brother and father. He was so open- wearing his heart on his sleeve and _everything_."

" _Fine."_ Rena huffed. "I'll apologize." Now all that was left was Queen Bee.

"… I suppose I _could_ apologize to him, but don't expect me to actually _say_ it." She mused.

"Great!" Ladybug clapped her hands. "Now we can go in-"

"Hold up- go in?" Rena asked. "Why not just say 'I'm sorry' over the intercom?"

"Because he'll _know_ that we're being sincere." Carapace said, standing up. "I'll be the first to go." He could hear two others as well.

"He'll be more comfortable if I'm in there with you." Ladybug said.

"I need to see him in order to apologize properly anyway." Queen Bee scoffed, grabbing something.

" _Fiiine."_ Rena drawled, stomping out. The door closed, and Chat Noir couldn't quite hear them anymore.

Anxiety built up in his stomach. He hadn't had to have this much social contact since the last time he hang out with Marinette- before Hawkmoth had taken over the world.

He shook his head. He was Chat Noir now, and Chat Noir didn't get anxious about people. Only about _her_ getting hurt.

He shivered at the actual thought, and moments later the door opened. He spared a glance at them all walking in but otherwise kept his gaze on the wall.

"Chat Noir." Ladybug said softly. "Please turn around. They're here to apologize." He slowly did, making sure to eye them all with a disappointed look that had been pulled on him far-too-many times in his own childhood. To some degree, all of them winced.

The silence was almost unbearable until Carapace broke it.

"Okay, look, dude, I'm sorry that we did that to you." He said. "To be honest, the only one who ever _really_ interacted with you was Ladybug, so we should've listened to her Idea first." He rocked on his foot a bit, fiddling with his cowl nervously. "The only reason why _I_ didn't, was because I wanted to get your attention on my own. That didn't work out, _obviously_ , because I didn't really get a part in the plan, but I'm still sorry."

Chat Noir smiled- Carapace really was a good guy. He stood up and walked the short distance over. "Carapace, dude, you _all_ had my attention. I mean, it's pretty important when you're not the only one running in and out of Paris." He laughed a bit and was glad when the other did as well. "Not to mention that it's Ladybug who's the most popular out of all of us- if anything we should be trying to get _her_ attention."

"Well, yeah." Carapace said. "She's the most popular, but you're a mystery. You're the first person to start doing what we're doing- a role model for all of the boys out there."

' _If this mask was off, you'd say otherwise.'_ Chat Noir ignored his thoughts and smiled. "You're down-playing yourself, I know _plenty_ of kids who love you."

"Fanboy." Rena scoffed.

"Like _you_ didn't act like that when you met Ladybug face-to-face for the first time." Queen Bee huffed. She walked over and looked at his hair disapprovingly. "Such amazing hair doesn't deserve to be as dirty as it is. I'll have to take care of that."

"I, uh, don't think that that will be necessary." He said awkwardly.

"Fine." Chloe dropped the bath supplies by the bed. "If you won't let me then you better do a good job of it."

"O…kay…"

"And I need to-"

"You _already_ apologized to me." Chat Noir turned to look at Ladybug.

"But-"

"Over apologizing makes it impossible to put it in the past." Chat Noir said smartly, patting Ladybug's head. He could've sworn she blushed.

"U-Uh, ok."

"And I'm sorry too." Rena Rouge sighed, and then looked a bit hopeful. "So, uh…"

"I was thinking." Chat Noir admitted. "And I decided that, if you promise to _never_ try this again, I guarantee one week of working with you guys."

"Consider it done." Carapace raised his hand up for Chat Noir to shake. Chat Noir smiled, and the grin grew wider when he saw Carapace seen to be in complete awe.

"So, what's first?" He asked, tilting his head while looking at Ladybug.

"Well, a tour of the base." Ladybug admitted, standing beside him. "And then we go over everything that we know about who we're fighting."

"Alright." Chat Noir gestured to the door. "Lead the way."


	5. Chapter 5

Once Bridgette had managed to get the boy up and into her treehouse (it was a miracle she had figured out how to even get him up there, much less on her bed), she started working on making dinner and getting herself comfortable.

It was only when her soup was almost ready to eat when he stirred.

"Are you awake?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him. He sat up with a grunt, turning to look at her, confused.

"...Where am I?"

"In my house." She took the pot of soup off of the old-fashioned stove that she had salvaged. She poured them into two bowls, blew on both a bit and then brought them over to the bed. He was sitting up completely now, with his legs hanging over the edge of her bed. "Here, eat."

He looked down at her offered bowl before shaking his head.

"You don't want to feed me." He eventually said.

"Yes, I do." She held it close to him. "Eat."

"You don't know who I am."

"I know that you saved me from that Moth, so you can't be all _that_ bad." He eyed her suspiciously.

"... You don't know who I am?" Bridgette shook her head, and he slowly accepted the bowl she had offered. Bridgette beamed in pride and sat next to him. They ate their dinner in silence, and when they finished Bridgette cleared her throat.

"So, what were you doing out in the forest?"

"Looking for my younger brother." He admitted. "And trying to kill off as many of those Moths that I can."

"What was up with that Moth, anyway?" Bridgette asked.

"They're rare to come by." He brushed off. "Especially around the woods. You don't have to worry about it."

"...Okay…" Bridgette paused before holding out a hand to him. "I'm Bridgette, and you are?"

"I don't want to say."

"Well, at least tell me something that I can call you by." He looked around a bit, probably looking for inspiration for a good nickname until his eyes landed on a picture of her white cat, Snowball, who had passed when the Apocalypse started.

"You can call me Chat Blanc."

"Sounds like Chat Noir. Are you brothers?"

"Heavens above I hope not." He sighed and looked up. "If it _is_ my younger brother under that mask, I'll kill him."

"Why?"

"He's being so _risky_." Chat Blanc sighed. "I've always had to watch over him, and I've done some bad things to try and keep him out of trouble. Things that I'm pretty sure he won't understand, and will never forgive me for."

"Hmn." Bridgette shrugged. "I don't know what that's like, I was a single child." Chat Blanc stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find my brother."

"Surely you can stay the night." Bridgette stood up with him, smiling. "It's dark out- too dangerous to go anywhere." Chat Blanc hesitated before sighing, sitting back down.

"Fine. Just _one_ night."

"Great!" Bridgette walked over to the stove to start cleaning. "You can sleep on the bed."

"What?"

"Well, you're obviously injured." She gestured to his still wrapped arm, which he glanced at. "You should be as comfortable as possible in order to heal properly."

"...Right." She heard him mumble under his breath. "Heal."

She didn't question it, but her mind started whirring for an explanation as to why he would say it like that.

But it wasn't any of her business. If he wanted to elaborate, he would.

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Their base was a lot smaller than he thought it was. Nonetheless, he eventually found himself placed in front of a list.

"This-" Carapace gestured to the paper. "Is the list of everything that we collectively know about Hawkmoth and what he does. You can look through it, add-on, or ask about anything on there."

' _I doubt that I'll have to do that.'_ He thought, grabbing the list. He skimmed through all three pages, knowing all of that information already. There was one problem.

"You guys don't have Akumas on there."

"Akumas?" Rena Rouge asked.

"Never heard of them."

"Whatever they are, they sound like they don't know how to take care of themselves." Queen Bee scoffed. Chat Noir frowned.

"Akumas are one of Hawkmoth's most dangerous pawns." He said seriously. "There are only a few of them as far as I know, but their numbers can grow."

"You want to teach us?" Ladybug asked.

"Sure. This could save your lives one day." He said as the others sat down. ' _In fact, I know it will.'  
_  
"We know that Moths are creatures that don't pose any real harm." He began. "They travel in numbers and like to absorb people who eventually return to normal about a week later with a small case of amnesia. They're also Hawkmoth's eyes and ears, and it's almost impossible to kill them. However, some of them have an extra ability."

"You can tell if Moths have this ability because they'll have mouths." He said pointedly. "If they bite you, it starts the akumatization process, which acts as an infection. After the process is 100% complete, the infection gathers itself up and infuses it into a dearly held object on you. It could be anything- a necklace, ring, book, etc."

"Once you're akumatized, you have a direct connection to Hawkmoth. It's likely that he'll make you a general or something. Akumas also have control over Moths and direct them as they wish. They do think separately to Hawkmoth, but they ultimately follow his orders. Akumas are often granted strange, unexplainable powers that they can access before they are completely akumatized."

"Using these powers increases the akumatization process. Akumas, in general, are very dangerous, and you do not want to fight them one on one. They can be unpredictable and savage- basically monsters. They would be completely different from the people they once were. It's best to not get them confused with their human form."

"How can you tell if someone's in the process of being akumatized?" Ladybug asked.

"They'll get shocks of pain. It's random and inconsistent." He explained. "They'll also have electric purple marks marking their skin- usually leading from where the bite was to the prized object. As I said before, they also have strange powers."

"How fast is someone akumatized?"

"It depends." Chat Noir admitted. "It could take from a few days to full-on years before someone is akumatized. I don't know if anyone's healed an Akuma who was in the process, but I know how to save them after they're akumatized." He fiddled with the ring on his right hand.

"If you find the prized object and destroy it after akumatization, they will return to human form. You have to destroy the object and remove it from their body. Failing to do one of these tasks will make it so that the person is still an Akuma."

"How do you know all this?" Rena asked. Chat Noir bit his lip.

"Well…" He looked over his shoulder. " _Adrien_ told me."

"Wait, you mean-"

"For being the son of _Hawkmoth_ , He's surprisingly cooperative." He sighed. "He's in the process. When I saved him from the Moths, I didn't know who he was. His leg was broken, and while I nursed him back to health he told me everything he knew. When I asked if there was anything I could do, he told me to hide him away. That way, his father couldn't find him, and… wouldn't put anyone in danger." His right hand clenched into a fist.

"So you know where he is?" Ladybug asked.

"I'm not telling you that."

"Why not?" Rena asked, standing up. "He's a possible threat!"

"If we can find the cure for akumatization prior to actually becoming an Akuma, then I will take you to him so that we can heal him." Chat Noir growled. "But until then, he's still fighting it off, and we can decide to focus on the more available Akuma- like Volpina."

"That nasty copycat is an _Akuma?!_ " Rena hissed.

"Yes." Chat Noir nodded. "She's good at hiding that she is, though. I've located her prized object as her necklace, but I haven't come across her yet. She's the one who's been leading the Moths to get out of Paris, and I believe her base is out here too. I just don't know where."

"Then we'll just have to find it." Ladybug got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled up at him so warmly that he couldn't help but feel like he belonged.

But he didn't.

"I say we take a break." Carapace stretched. "I've been needing to get out of suit anyway. You gonna join me, babe?"

"Maybe," Rena smirked and placed a kiss on Carapace's cheek.

"You two sicken me. I'm gonna go get my manicure done." Queen Bee scoffed and stood up. Carapace and Rena Rouge quickly followed.

"In case you're wondering." Ladybug said from beside him. "They know each other's identities. I know them, too, but they don't know mine. Our rule is: if you trust, you show."

"Then how come they don't know yours?" Chat Noir asked.

"It doesn't have to be 'trusting the other person'." Ladybug admitted. "I don't show because I don't trust the possibilities. You have to have complete trust in everything, including the situation and yourself."

"Oh."

"No one will hold it against you if you never show." Ladybug continued on. "Actually, I wanted to get you alone. I needed to talk to you about something."

"Uhh, sure thing, Ladybug." He followed her out of the room and down the hall only a few floors, reaching a separate door. Once they were inside the empty room, she turned on him.

"How is he?"

"Huh?"

"Adrien." Ladybug corrected, a blush making itself known under her mask. "I knew him, before Hawkmoth. I wanted to know how he is."

"As fine as one can be as the son of a super villain." Chat Noir said slowly. "He's safe."

"Probably not." Ladybug rolled her eyes, shifting her weight from one of her feet to the other. "He's reckless, despite what people think. He better be taking good care of himself." A moment of silence. "Does he… ever talk to you about anyone?"

' _Careful, you're walking into dangerous territory here.'_ He warned himself. He leaned against the wall, not quite sure where they had put his staff.

"Yeah. He talks about the people in his good old days. You know, friends, his mom, small things that he doesn't have anymore. He doesn't like talking about Hawkmoth or his brother."

"Who does he like to talk about the most?" She asked, almost hesitant.

"A girl he was friends with." He admitted, not meeting her eye. "Someone by the name of Marinette. He misses her, a _lot_ , but he also knows that she hates him."

"Why?"

"Uhh, hello?" He asked with a dark chuckle. "Son of the man who _destroyed the world?_ Who'd want to still be friends with _him?_ "

"I don't think she'd be like _that_." Ladybug's words brought him to look up at her, and she smiled. "I think that she'd just be glad he's alive."

"…Maybe." He finally settled on. He cleared his throat- it was time to step back into safe waters. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No." Ladybug sighed. "Not really."

"Then I'm gonna go to the training room." He opened the door and walked out, Ladybug amusingly watching him.

"That's the wrong way." She called.

"I knew that." Chat Noir turned around and began to walk in the other direction. Ladybug giggled and shook her head, amused.

"I guess I'll be taking a nap then." He heard her say before she left. He focused on getting to the training room, purposefully ignoring his racing heart.

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Once she reached her room, Ladybug sighed and sat down on her bed. She peeled off her mask, staring at it with a small smile.

 _Adrien was alive._

 _Adrien was okay._

He was away from his father and living somewhere that only he and Chat Noir knew of.

For _years_ she had searched for him- she had to know that he was okay after… _that._ Marinette cared too much about him for him to just disappear- even with his father and older brother making the world into an apocalyptic wasteland. She had first tried to join Chat Noir because she knew that he would have some knowledge of the information she sought.

But then he had told her no.

Ladybug was shocked- she really was. Chat Noir himself had saved her and told her to fight the good fight- why wouldn't he team up with anyone?

While that was still a very good question, he was teaming up with them for a week. And he had valuable information- not just about her childhood friend, but about the Moths, Volpina, and what he called 'Akumas'.

Why he wouldn't share this information about Akumas before was anyone's guess, but Ladybug was starting to get a sneaking suspicion about just what.

 _No one_ flinched randomly without good reason.

But she'd keep her suspicions to herself, for now.


End file.
